Film

I Feel Pretty

Name: I Feel Pretty
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Released: 2018
Cast: Amy Schumer, Michelle Williams, Tom Hopper, Rory Scovel, Adrian Martinez

Comedy
Light-hearted

Amy Schumer plays a woman who, after a gym accident, suddenly believes she's stunningly beautiful—and discovers that confidence itself is transformative. It's a broad comedy about self-perception, desire, and the gap between how we see ourselves and how the world sees us. Warm-hearted rather than cutting, it swings for laughs while genuinely exploring what it means to take up space.

TMDb rating

3.2

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you enjoy Amy Schumer's brash, self-deprecating comedy and don't mind a romcom that wears its heart on its sleeve while poking at how women are taught to see themselves.

Skip it if you want biting satire, because this one keeps its jokes gentle and its message fairly plain, and its sweetness can feel easy.

What it asks of you: About an hour and fifty minutes of light, bright, mostly breezy material that asks you to go along with a premise rather than question it closely.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Legally Blonde2001

Elle Woods uses charm and self-belief to navigate a world that underestimated her. Like Renee, she refuses the script people wrote for her and discovers her own worth—with snappy dialogue and genuine heart underneath the pink.

But The satire of sorority culture and shallow people reads dated now, and some jokes land softer than they did twenty years ago.

Bridesmaids2011

Kristen Wiig plays a woman spiralling through shame and self-doubt who learns to reclaim her life. It's messier and cruder than I Feel Pretty, but the emotional core—learning to believe in yourself—is identical, wrapped in genuine comedy chaos.

But The humour is much darker and more scatological; if you want warmth over edge, this will feel like a gear shift.

Crazy, Stupid, Love.2011

Steve Carell and Ryan Gosling in a film about reinvention, confidence, and learning who you actually are beneath habit and assumption. Charming without being saccharine, it finds real emotion in the idea of becoming yourself.

But Structurally it's a romantic comedy ensemble, so you're signing up for multiple storylines when you might just want one clear narrative.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from I Feel Pretty

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Never Have I Ever2020

Both examine self-perception and confidence as the engine of change, but where I Feel Pretty uses a magical premise, Never Have I Ever grounds it in the messy reality of actually becoming yourself over time.

Mindy Kaling's series about a teenage girl navigating identity, desire, and self-perception with genuine nuance and humour. It explores similar territory—the gap between who you are and who you think you should be—but with far more cultural specificity and emotional precision than the film allows.

But It's aimed at a younger audience and deals with high school social hierarchies; if you want adult stakes, this won't have them.

13 Going on 302004

Jennifer Garner wakes up as her adult self and has to navigate a life she didn't choose. Like I Feel Pretty, it's about perspective shift and the gap between who you thought you'd be and who you actually are.

But It leans hard into '80s nostalgia as plot device, which feels thin if you're not in the mood for it.

Ghostbusters2016

An ensemble of women (led by Melissa McCarthy) proving themselves in a world that doesn't believe in them. Schumer appears here too, and the film shares its DNA: female friendship, humor as a form of power, and characters claiming space.

But The reboot landed badly with audiences; whether that's fair or gatekeeping is genuinely debatable, but the skepticism exists.

Trainwreck2015

Schumer's own breakout film, where she plays against type as a commitment-phobic woman learning to be vulnerable. It's sharper and more cynical than I Feel Pretty, but shares the DNA of a woman rewriting her own story.

But The tonal register is very different—this one's meaner, and the romance feels more fraught than earned.

Isn't It Romantic2019

Rebel Wilson in a film about mistaken identity and the gap between fantasy and reality. Like I Feel Pretty, it plays with perception and how we construct our own narratives—though this one leans more directly into rom-com pastiche.

But The meta-commentary on rom-com tropes can feel more important than the actual story.

Girls Trip2017

Jada Pinkett Smith, Queen Latifah, and Regina Hall in a raucous comedy about friendship, self-worth, and women unapologetically taking what they want. The energy is infectious and the female camaraderie is real.

But It's messier and cruder than I Feel Pretty; the tone is party atmosphere rather than romantic comedy warmth.

Shallow Hal2001

Jack Black sees a woman as conventionally beautiful because of his perception, forcing the question: what actually matters? It's awkward and dated, but it shares I Feel Pretty's central thesis about the power and limits of self-perception.

But The film's treatment of weight and appearance hasn't aged well, and its logic collapses under scrutiny.

Louis C.K.: Sorry2021

Both use comedy to explore self-perception and reinvention, but where I Feel Pretty offers fantasy and wish-fulfillment, this special refuses to look away from the actual cost of change.

A stand-up special where Louis C.K. is genuinely, visibly broken and trying to rebuild. It's unflinching about shame, failure, and the work of being better. Serious in a way comedies rarely allow themselves to be.

But It's a stand-up special, not a narrative film; it's one man talking for 65 minutes. And it goes to dark places; warmth isn't the register here.

Eighth Grade2018

Both centre on a woman's internal confidence and external reality colliding, but Eighth Grade refuses the conceit that seeing yourself differently changes the actual world around you—exploring the gap itself rather than resolving it.

Bo Burnham's film about a thirteen-year-old girl navigating identity and confidence in real time. Uncomfortable, tender, and precise about what it actually feels like to perform for an audience—including yourself. Burnham treats the material with care.

But It's excruciating to watch at times; there's no magical solution or happy-ending reprieve. The film is about awkwardness without glamour.